Destiny Gone Awry
by Evony Frost
Summary: Arthur learns of his other half at a young age. A few years later they meet, but not how Arthur would have liked. Now, he has to figure out exactly what this destiny of his is and how he's going to do it. Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
1. Chapter 1

Arthur had been aware of his destiny since he was twelve years old. The young prince had been strolling through the halls of Camelot when he suddenly collapsed. Servants stumbled upon him and carried him back to his chambers before alerting the king.

Uther had been worried sick, especially when Gaius was unable to cure him. He offered up a reward for anyone who could restore his son's health. Uther was beginning to lose hope when even the renowned Edwin Muirden could not heal him.

For six days Arthur lay unconscious. Then he just… woke up. He was starving after being out for six days but other than that he was fine. Gaius was still worried. After all, people don't just pass out without cause. Uther was just happy his son was alive. A feast was held for Arthur and everything went seemingly back to normal.

However, the very next night Arthur woke up hearing voices._ 'I'm not crazy, I'm not crazy, I'm not crazy.'_ Arthur repeated over and over to himself as he got out of bed and followed the voice. It lead him down deep beneath the castle. Arthur found himself on a long dark staircase filled with cobwebs. When he reached the bottom, the area opened up into a large cavern.

"Hello?" Arthur shouted, "Is anyone there?"

He heard a loud echoing chuckle. Stepping closer to the edge, Arthur peered out into the darkness but there was no one there.

"That's it." Arthur muttered. "I'm officially crazy."

As he turned around and started to leave he heard a strange flapping sound and was knocked off his feet by a strong gust of wind. Arthur stood back up and brushed the dust and dirt from his clothing before turning around. Then he stood, jaw dropped, facing a _massive_ dragon.

"You're a… you're a…" Arthur stuttered.

The beast smiled. "A dragon? Yes I'm well aware. And you, young Pendragon, are not as small as I thought you would be."

Arthur was able to gather his wits and respond. "I'm twelve and I'm training to be a knight so I've got lots of muscles. I'm going to be the best knight Camelot has ever seen."

"I don't doubt it young prince, but you would to well to humble yourself."

"I don't see why I should if it's true." Arthur crossed his arms over his chest defensively.

"Great knights can be arrogant, but great kings are not." The dragon said.

"You think I'm going to be a great king?" Arthur asked.

The dragon smiled again, but this time it seemed sad. "I know you are. In fact you're going to be the Greatest King in all of Albion. However, that is not why I called you."

"Does it have to do the fact that I was unconscious for six days? Because I'm still really confused about that."

The dragon nodded. "Some people are destined for greatness. You are but one side of a coin young Pendragon. The half which makes you whole is suffering greatly because destiny has gone awry."

"Is this one of those 'he gets hurt, I get hurt; he dies, I die' type things?" Arthur asked warily.

"It is not." The dragon clarified. "Those with magic are able to sense this disturbance even though they do not know what it is. The bond between you and your other half is a strong one. That is why the effect on you was so great."

"If we're bonded together so strongly then I want to meet him. I would at least like to know what my other half looks like."

The dragon sighed. "I'm afraid that's not possible right now. You will meet him though, when the time is right your paths will intertwine."

"When will that be?" Arthur asked with a huff.

"You'll know when you see him." The dragon stood and stretched, preparing to fly off.

"Wait." Arthur stopped him. "Do you have a name or am I just going to have to keep referring to you as 'Dragon'?"

The dragon smiled. "My name is Kilgharrah."

Arthur braced himself for the huge gust of wind and watched as the dragon- Kilgharrah- flew out of sight.

Arthur snuck back to his room that night and crawled back into his large, prince sized bed. He couldn't sleep though. He kept thinking about what Kilgharrah said. His other half was suffering and there was nothing he could do about it.

~6 years later~

Arthur had really taken to heart what Kilgharrah said to him the first time they met. Sure, he had been twelve, been he understood what the big scaly beast had said. The person that was to make him whole was out there suffering and there was nothing Arthur could do about it. For a few days he felt an unbearable sense of guilt. He moped around the castle and acted miserable. Then he realized there was something that he could do. He was going to stop being so arrogant and work to humble himself, like Kilgharrah had said.

Honestly, Arthur had improved a lot. He no longer spent all of his time with his knight friends whose only interest was making fun of the other children. He spent more time studying and reading. He still trained of course, but it was no longer the only thing that occupied his time.

He was kinder to the servants and no longer treated them like the dirt beneath his boots. When Arthur turned sixteen, he dismissed his manservant and found him other work in the castle. Uther had been furious. Arthur didn't care. He didn't understand why he needed a personal manservant to wake, clothe, and bathe him. He was more than capable of doing those things by himself.

He still had the servants do his laundry, fetch the tub and fill the bath, keep his room dusted and the floor scrubbed, polish his armor, and do most things. However, Arthur realized that his chambers were rather large and to have one person doing all of the things he needed done would be exhausting. Arthur also stopped flinging his belongings about in his chambers. He left his clothes in the basket by the door so the servants wouldn't have to search for them.

Another development had popped up though. Uther legalized the slavery of magic users. Arthur confronted him on the matter but Uther was persistent.

"Arthur, it's their fault your mother is dead. Instead of burning them and having their horrid stench fill the city, we can put them to use. We will collar them and use them to work in the royal fields and improve the castle. We could have them do anything, the possibilities are endless! We can use them in battle. We'll be unstoppable Arthur!"

Eventually, the only thing Arthur could do in protest was refuse to take a slave. Uther had taken one and had even gifted some of them to certain nobles. The thought made Arthur sick.

So when Arthur woke up on this particular morning, it wasn't because a slave or servant had woken him, but because there was someone knocking on the door to his chambers.

Arthur sat up. "Enter."

One of the castle guards came in. "Sire, the King requires your presence. He demands you come to the throne room immediately."

"Did he say why?" Arthur asked, swinging his feet out of bed.

"Yes Sire. A slave trader has showed up with a new haul."

"Let me guess. Some back country ruffian slave trader my father doesn't usually deal with has shown up out of no where because he finally realized he could get a lot of money for his magical slaves?"

The guard smirked, feeling more comfortable around the prince than the king. "You could say that."

Arthur sighed, "Tell him I'll be there shortly."

The guard exited and in minutes Arthur was dressed and headed for the throne room. As soon as Arthur left his chambers though, something strange happened. He felt something, really deep down. He couldn't explain it. It knocked all the air out of his lungs and left him gasping. He had to lean against the wall for a minute before he could get his breath back.

Arthur continued on to his trek to the throne room but the closer he got, the more intense the feeling got. He'd felt something like it before. Several times since he had learned of his other half, Arthur had felt a tug or a pull coming from deep inside him. When he asked Kilgharrah about it, he just said that they were signs that his other half was still suffering. The tugs and pulls didn't physically hurt, but it pained Arthur to know that his other half was once again suffering.

This feeling was different. He couldn't explain how, but it was. He found himself walking faster and faster till he was nearly running to the throne room. He stopped before the doors to get into his Prince Persona and pushed the doors open. He strutted confidently to the head of the room and stood at his place next to the king.

When he turned around to face the slave trader, he locked eyes with one of the slaves. He had a head of shaggy raven locks, eyes of a stormy night, and cheek bones sharper than broken glass. He was taller than all the others, but slimmer too, but some of that was probably down to malnourishment. He was also being held up by two of the slave trader's henchmen, hanging limp in their grasp.

The feeling he had intensified to the point where he thought he was going to pass out. Then it was gone. Just… gone. Like it had never been there. Arthur knew the slave had felt it too. They were connected. This tormented slave was his other half. He couldn't explain how he knew, he just did.

He tore his eyes away from the stormy blue ones and turned to look at the slave trader.

Uther straighten up and boomed in an authoritative voice, "State your name and purpose."

The man smiled and showed off his black teeth. "Your Majesty. I am Jarl, a humble slave trader. I bring to you seven magic users I have captured. If they interest you, I am willing to sell them."

Uther's eyes were drawn to the raven haired one. "Can he not stand?"

Jarl looked confused for a second before he realized what the king was talking about. "He is fully capable of standing Yer Highness. He is extremely powerful though. The likes of which I ain't never seen before. The man I got him from couldn't handle him no longer. He sold him to me but wouldn't give me the restraints he got. I ain't use restraints. I got a drug that suppresses magic, but he was too powerful. I gave him more, along with some other drugs that been keepin' him from usin' his magic. He ain't really aware of nothin' right now. Them fancy collars you got will be able to hold him though. I ain't got no doubt 'bout that."

Uther seemed to contemplate this for a moment before nodding. "Alright then. I'll take them." He nodded to Geoffrey Monmouth he stepped forward and handed Jarl a bag of coins. His henchmen dropped the raven haired boy and followed Jarl as he headed out the door.

Uther turned to the guards in the back of the room and gestured toward the slaves. "Take them to get collars and then put them in the holding cells." The guards nodded and started herding the slaves to the door.

"Wait!" Arthur shouted. Uther turned to face him and Arthur schooled his features into those of obedience. "Sire, if you don't mind, I would like to claim one of these slaves for my own." There were several gasps from around the room. It was known that the prince refused to keep a slave.

Uther looked utterly shocked. "What? You mean to tell me that you actually want one of these slaves?"

Arthur nodded.

Uther couldn't help but laugh a little. "This is a miracle. Go on then, chose whichever one you like."

Arthur nodded to the raven hair boy who was currently sprawled out across the floor. "That one."

Uther smiled. "Ah, the powerful one. Alright, we'll get a collar specially made to bind him to you. Until then he shall be taken up to your room and kept sedated."

When Uther had slaves that belonged to one person, he made the slave a special collar so they would be bound to that specific person. The slave would have to do whatever their owner commanded, whether they wanted to or not. The collar making process would be sped up for the prince, but it would still take at least a day.

Some of the guards picked up the raven haired slaved and hauled him out of the room after the prince. Arthur led them up to his room and had to watch as the guards dropped him painfully on the floor before they left. As soon as they were gone, Arthur picked him up and lifted him onto the bed.

His eyes found Arthur's again, though they seemed a little hazy. The prince ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry for the way you've been treated but it'll be alright now. I'm going to take care of you."

The boy seemed comforted by that and let his eyes slide shut. He slipped into sweet oblivion.


	2. Chapter 2

Three hours passed before the raven haired boy woke. Most people wake slowly, eyes fluttering, gradually becoming aware of the world around them. Not him. He gasped and sat straight up, eyes flying open. Golden eyes. Arthur crossed the room from where he was sitting at his desk and sat beside him.

"It's alright. Just calm down." Arthur said, trying to be reassuring.

The boy turned his head and stared directly at Arthur. It wasn't like his eyes were catching light from the fireplace across the room, but like the fire was behind his eyes, illuminating them in an unnatural way. A ring of gold started at the edge of his iris and stretched all the way in towards his pupil, fading a little at the center, that stormy blue filtering back in a little.

He broke out into a smile. "I can feel it." He looked down at his hands, clenching them and wiggling his fingers a little as if trying to get feeling back into them. "I can feel my magic." He swung over his feet the edge of the bed, wiggled his toes like he did his fingers, and stood up. He swayed a little and Arthur immediately reached out to steady him.

As soon as Arthur's hand made contact with his shoulder, his eyes got wider and the gold intensified. "My magic likes you." The boys said. He reached a hand out and placed it on Arthur's chest. He smiled even wider. "It really likes you."

Arthur pulled him back down onto the bed. "Just take it easy, alright? I can't imagine you've had anything easy lately."

The boy's golden eyes locked with his and he looked slightly confused. "You're different. My magic likes you. My magic never likes any of my masters."

Arthur nodded. "I am different. I'm glad you can see that." He pulled his hands off the boy's shoulders but he reached back out and grabbed one of them. A question entered Arthur's mind. "How long have you been without you're magic?"

The bog shrugged. "I have been able to feel the full power of it since I was captured six years ago. Everyone kept suppressing it. It never fully went away though, it's to strong for that."

"What's it feel like now?" Arthur asked.

The boy closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I can feel it pumping through my veins, thrumming beneath the surface of my skin. It surrounds me and I breathe it in. It's… wonderful." He opened his eyes and smiled. After a moment, it faded into a frown. "Are the going to suppress it again? They said something in that other room about a collar."

Arthur sighed. "I'm afraid so."

A tear leaked out of the corner of the boy's eye. "Please don't let them. Magic is the only thing I have, the only thing I want. If I can't have it, I might as well die."

Arthur gripped his hand tighter. "I promise you, we'll figure something out. I won't take your magic away from you again." The boy smiled again and it wasn't until then that the prince realized he didn't know his name. "What's your name?" He asked.

"My name? No one has used my name in a long time."

"You do remember it, don't you?"

He nodded and smiled. "Merlin."

Arthur smiled back. "_Merlin_." He said it like he was tasting every letter and learning the weight of the name on his tongue. Merlin shivered. "It's a bit of an unusual name, isn't it?"

"Hey, I happen to like my name. My mother picked it out."

The prince was confused. "Your mother? Isn't it usually customary that the father picks the child's name?"

Merlin shrugged. "I wouldn't know. I never had a father."

"What happened to him?" Arthur asked.

"He left before I was born. Apparently he didn't even know my mom was with child. She didn't talk about him much."

"Did you get your magic from him?"

"I must have." Merlin said. "Mom didn't have a single drop of magic in her."

Arthur sighed. "If it makes you feel better, I never knew my mother."

Merlin drew his eyebrows together. "What happened to her?"

"She died before I opened my eyes. I've had it easy though. Even without a mother there were nannies and the entire castle staff to take care of me."

"Back home it was just me and Mom. All we had was each other. Some of the other adults in the village gossiped about her, saying she was nothing more than a whore. None of them liked me either. They said I was a bastard and they wouldn't let their children play with me." Merlin sniffled a little. "It's been six years since I last saw her. I-I don't even know if she's still alive."

"How did you get captured?" He whispered. He wasn't trying to be insensitive but he needed to know.

"There was a raid. My mom told me to stay inside so I'd be safe. While everyone was out protecting our food supply, some of the men came and found me. I think the raid was just a cover up though. As soon as they had me everyone fled." A tear leaked out of the corner of his eye but he hastily brushed it away.

Arthur noted that the gold in Merlin's eyes was fading away. "Why don't you lay back down and rest. No doubt you're exhausted." He stood and made his way back to his desk where he had loads of paperwork waiting for him.

"You're not… you're really not going to hurt me, are you?" Merlin asked. He didn't sound scared, more confused.

"I'm really not." Merlin smiled at him. Arthur sighed. "Get some rest _Mer_lin. Tomorrow, you begin training."

"Training for what?"

"Being my manservant, of course. Honestly, you didn't think I'd just let you laze around and sleep all day, did you?" Arthur inwardly berated himself. He was trying to create a comfortable and relaxed environment, not come off like a complete arse.

Merlin surprised him by laughing. "God, you are a prat, aren't you?" He listened to Arthur's request though and snuggled himself deeper into the prince's bed before falling asleep.

Arthur spent the rest of the day working on paperwork and when night finally came, he scooted Merlin out of the middle of the bed and before crawling beneath the sheets and falling asleep himself.


	3. Chapter 3

Arthur woke on his own to find Merlin snuggled up against him. The boy was painfully thin and seemingly incapable of producing any body heat. It seemed that he had been seeking out warmth in his sleep. Arthur didn't mind. He wanted to help Merlin in anyway that he could.

He thought back on yesterday, back to everything that had happened after Merlin had abruptly woken. He'd have to talk to Gaius about why the boy woke the way he did and why his eyes were golden when it had happened. When Arthur caught him, Merlin said that his magic liked the prince. Did that mean that Merlin was aware of their connection? Arthur was all too aware of it. There's weren't anymore harsh pulls, but there was something like a dull thrumming beneath his skin. It was nothing as strong as Merlin described his magic had been but it was something.

Merlin tensed from his spot curled against Arthur's side for a fraction of a second before frantically launching himself from the bed. The blankets latched onto his legs, causing him to tumble painfully to the floor. Arthur sat up and flung the remaining covers from his body. Merlin sat with eyes wide and breaths labored, sprawled out on the rug by the prince's bed.

"Merlin, are you alright?" Arthur asked cautiously.

Merlin blinked a few times in confusion before his eyes lost that far off look. He offered a weak smile but it came looked more like a grimace. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"You don't look fine." The prince pointed out.

"It's just- waking up next to someone else has never boded well for me. You wouldn't understand. But I'm fine now."

Arthur decided not to pry. He rose from the bed, crossed over to the wardrobe, and began pulling out clothing for the day. As he dressed himself, he noticed Merlin watching him with a hint of curiosity.  
"What?" Arthur asked. "Have you never seen someone dress themself before."

Merlin ducked his head in embarrassment, realizing he had been caught staring. "Of course I have, but none of my masters have ever dressed themselves before. They always made me do it."

Arthur grimaced. "I'd prefer if you didn't call me master. It's unsettling."

"What would you prefer I call you? Sire? My Liege? Your Highness? Your Excellency? Your Grace? Your Majesty? Your-"

"No." Arthur interrupted him. "When we're alone, I want you to call me Arthur." Merlin's eyes widened. "And when we're in the company of others Sire will do. None of those other ridiculous titles though. They give me headaches."

Arthur reached for his red shirt but suddenly, Merlin was there, holding it in his hands. "Allow me."

Arthur shook his head. "No. I won't be like them. I won't."

Merlin shook his head right back. "And you won't be. I'm going to be your manservant, aren't I? Then let me do this."

"I won't be able to pay you." Arthur said. "My father won't allow it." In Arthur's mind, if he couldn't pay Merlin for his work then he was still a slave and therefore no better off then he was before.

"I don't need payment. Your kindness will be more than enough." Merlin raised the shirt again, asking for permission. Arthur sighed and raised his arms. Merlin smiled at his victory.

A knock sounded throughout the room once the prince was fully clothed. Arthur smiled, he was starving and this was no doubt a servant bring his breakfast. "Enter."

The door swung open to reveal three burly guards and Aredian, the man in charge of producing the magic suppressing collars. In his hands he held a square wooden box, the perfect size to hold one of the collars.

Two of the guards rushed forward and seized Merlin by the arms. The third stood next to Aredian. "Arthur, you should have called for me the moment the potion wore off. The slave is dangerous like this."

Merlin's whole body panicked in fear. He looked to Arthur, pleading for help with his eyes. The guards had a bruising grip on his arms. Arthur was at a loss for what to do. He wanted to help Merlin, he really did, but if he stopped what was going on Aredian he would realize Arthur's true intentions and Merlin would get taken away. He couldn't let that happen. He'd waited six years for his other half and he wasn't about to lose him now.

He watched as Aredian set the box on the table, opened it, and pulled out the silver collar. Merlin tried to jerk out of the guards' grip but the tightened his hold. As Aredian brought the collar towards him he felt his magic flare up. It wanted to fight but Merlin couldn't let it. If he did, they would take him away from Arthur and he didn't want that. Arthur would stop this man, he would. He promised Merlin that he wouldn't let them keep him from his magic.

He stood face to face with the man and when he raised the collar; his magic pushed the evil object away. One of the guards grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and Aredian tried again. His magic still repelled the object. He looked to Arthur, but the prince's gaze was firmly fixed on the floor. The third guard stepped forward and pressed a knife to Merlin's side in warning. Finally, Merlin's magic seemed to understand that needed to stop. This time, when Aredian raised the collar to his neck, his magic didn't push back.

Merlin felt the smooth silver metal slide into place and with an audible 'click' it was locked in place. Arthur heard Merlin's sharp intake of breath but refused to look up. He couldn't, not until Aredian and the guards left. Dropping Merlin to the floor, the guards marched out the door. Aredian gathered up the square box from its place on the table and turned to Arthur. "The slave is yours to do with what you wish." Then, with a smirk, he stalked out of the prince's chambers.


	4. Chapter 4

As soon as the door was shut, Arthur was at Merlin's side. Merlin, however, crawled away from him. One of his hands extended, like he was trying to keep Arthur away, and the other gripping the collar on his neck.

"Merlin?" Arthur asked, confused as to why he was trying to get away.

"You promised." He said, his voice breathy, like he had just got done running. "You promised me you wouldn't let them take away my magic."

"You don't understand." Arthur pleaded. "I had to let them put the collar on you. If I had stopped them, they would have told my father and you would have been taken away."

Merlin lowered his defensive hand. He didn't want to get taken away from Arthur. He was the nicest master he had ever had.

"I'll figure out some way to fix this. I promise I will get you your magic back." Arthur said earnestly.

"Hurry. Please." It wasn't until Merlin voiced his urgency that Arthur realized something was wrong. Merlin was far too pale and beads of sweat rolled down the side of his face. When Arthur reached out a hand to touch Merlin's forehead he pulled back in surprise. Merlin was burning up.

"What's going on?" Arthur asked, worried.

"These collars cut off magic better than the restraints and drugs that have been used on me before ever have. With the other methods, I could still sense it. Now, I can't feel it at all. There's something I should have told you."

"What?"

"I can't be cut off from my magic because I _am_ magic. If I go much longer like this it will kill me." With every word Merlin said he grew more exhausted.

Arthur picked him up from the floor and set him on the bed. "That's not going to happen on my watch." Arthur was determined. He ran to the door and asked a passing servant to fetch Gaius.

"I'm sorry Sire, but Gaius is in the lower town right now helping the baker. He's got a very nasty burn that needed to be tended to so Gaius won't be back until later."

Arthur thanked the servant anyway and closed the door again. Okay, so Gaius wasn't available right now. Fine. He'd just come up with a Plan B. And… Bingo! Guinevere! He'd ask Gwen to tend to Merlin while he paid a visit to his old friend the big scaly lizard.

He turned to Merlin. "Merlin, I'll be right back with some help. I'm locking the door while I'm gone so you won't have to worry about anyone barging in, okay?"

Merlin nodded and Arthur was off. He'd check Morgana's chambers first. After all, Gwen was Morgana's maidservant. He knocked politely on the door. Gwen opened the door but was a little surprised to see Arthur on the other side. "Oh! Arthur what are you doing here?" They had dropped the whole 'Sire' and 'curtsying' thing a while ago.

"I was wondering if I could borrow you for a bit?" He asked. Morgana sighed in the background and appeared behind Gwen.

"Arthur, if you need someone to wait on you hand and foot, get a manservant. Actually, you have a _slave_ now, so you don't need one." _Oh,_ Arthur thought, _it's going to be _that_ conversation._ "How could you? I thought you were above all of that! Owning another human being? Arthur that's despicable!"

He sighed. "Morgana, you don't understand. I'm helping him."

She was furious. "Helping him? How? By stealing his magic? There is nothing wrong with possessing magic. I thought you understood that."

He knew she wouldn't believe him and he didn't have time to waste arguing. "Fine!" He yelled. "You want me to show you? Follow me." He stormed back to his chambers, the girls on his heels.

When he unlocked the door and swung it open he pushed the girls inside and closed it behind them. "See." He said, gesturing to the bed.

Merlin was there, lying beneath the covers, looking worse than when he left. Gwen and Morgana rushed over to him but he cringed away from them.

"It's alright Merlin." Arthur assured him. "They won't hurt you." At the prince's words Merlin relaxed.

"What's wrong with him?" Gwen asked.

"It's the collar. He's an extremely powerful sorcerer and cutting him off from his magic is killing him. The reason I was asking for Guinevere's assistance is because I need someone to look after him while I figure out how the keep the bloody thing from killing him."

Morgana's eyes didn't leave Merlin. "We'll both do it. But hurry. I'm not sure how long he has."

Arthur nodded and flashed them a smile, he would be forever greatful. He wanted more than anything to take off running as fast as he could but that would draw attention. So he walked down corridor after corridor and then he snuck passed guards and used the shadows to his advantage. Eventually he was creeping his way down towards the cavern. When he got there, Kilgharrah was waiting for him.

"So the time has finally come for you to be united with your other half." He said.

"It has. But I fear we have a problem."

"The collar." The dragon said knowingly.

Arthur was confused. "How do you know about that?"

"I can feel it. Young Merlin is dying."

Arthur didn't bother asking how he knew Merlin's name. "How can I save him?" Arthur asked.

"The collar is designed to listen to you and you alone. That is what makes the collars of the sorcerers that have been gifted so special. They only respond to the will of the sorcerer's master. All you must do is place your hands on the metal and wish for it to come off and it will."

"That's the thing. We can't take it off. It's too risky. Someone could find out that it isn't there and tell my father and get Merlin taken away." Arthur said.

"Then don't wish for the collar to come off. Just wish for it to let Merlin's magic free."

"It's that simple?" Arthur asked.

Kilgharrah shook his head. "It is not. Young Merlin is more powerful than any who have walked the earth and any who has yet to walk the earth. He will need to learn to control that power if he is to join you in your shared destiny."

"Thank you." Arthur said. "Your wisdom is greatly appreciated." He wasn't usually this formal or appreciative of the dragon but this was Merlin's life. He figured he should show some gratitude.

Arthur turned to leave but the dragon's voice stopped him. "When Young Merlin is better, bring him to me. I believe there is a lot the three of us need to discuss." Kilgharrah said. Arthur nodded and headed back towards his chambers. He had a sorcerer to save.


End file.
